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Utahns survived a record-breaking winter, and because of the long months of dreary days, are looking forward to backyard grilling season more than ever. Today, May 16, is National Barbecue Day. There's no better time to fire up the grill and smoker than now.
While your typical burgers and hot dogs are a great gas barbecue standard, there's nothing like a pork shoulder slow-smoked to juicy perfection. For the first time, the best of both worlds is available in one single cooking unit. Lifetime Products, a Utah-based company, has developed a way to do it all with one machine—now you can smoke and sear your food to create tender meals packed with rich flavor. The Lifetime Gas Grill and Pellet Smoker is a unique, all-new way to prepare food, including sublime, savory meats.
Facing the age-old problem of having to choose between smoked meat or grilled, or needing two separate, space-occupying units in order to do both, Lifetime Products stepped up to the challenge of building the ultimate meat-cooking machine. It wasn't enough to simply combine a grill and a smoker—the device had to be intuitive and versatile, allowing for the foods to be smoked, grilled, or both, without sacrificing any of the features of either method and with no drawbacks. This would create exciting new combinations of texture and flavor—and it meant designing a streamlined unit with powerful cooking capabilities, everyday accessibility, and a user-friendly control system, all without compromising any of the full functions of a smoker or those of a gas grill.
After months of labor, Lifetime did it—they completed the grill and started selling it in May 2021. It features all the tools to empower anyone, whether you're a seasoned chef or a first-timer, to craft a meat-cooking masterpiece. Feedback from customers is excellent, with all kinds of people enjoying everything from perfectly-prepared flank steaks and juicy burgers to grilled pineapples, being able to smoke and then grill with fantastic ease.
The new unit is already a hit with customers, who are loving the versatility and ease of use. Many are experimenting with innovative hybrid methods to prepare food, including slow smoking first and then giving a final sear on the grill for a crisp edge, something that was impossible until the combo unit was invented.
One new owner of the grill and smoker said, "I'd never smoked before and this grill made it so simple to start and monitor it…the food was moist and delicious. I love that I have a smoker and grill in one. It saves so much space without compromising the quality of either."
Not only does the Lifetime Grill & Smoker let you cook in many ways while saving space, but it also is a great way to explore hybrid preparation of meats.
"It was important that the grill could do a lot of different things, and that it could do them well—that's why we built it to go beyond 500 degrees, all the way up to 600," described one Lifetime Grill engineer. "And the Intuitive control system keeps everything in one process. We want you to get the results of an expert grill master without needing a master's in grilling, and to enjoy the delicious results."
But what can it do, specifically? Here's an example of the unit's use via this recipe for smoked and grilled tri-tip cuts, possible through the Lifetime Combination Grill and Smoker.
Get some tri-tip cuts unmarinated and unrubbed, as well as some salt and pepper, some olive oil, and garlic powder. Fresh-ground pepper and salt are recommended for maximum flavor, but any salt and pepper will do—cover the meat with them generously.
Preheat the smoker (pecan pellets are recommended) to 225 degrees Fahrenheit. Place your temperature probes into the thickest part of the beef, and smoke the steaks to 145 degrees (165 if you want them well done).
Then, remove the steaks, spray them with olive oil, sprinkle them with the garlic powder, and wrap them in foil. It's time to grill—just flip on the gas, getting the grill temperature to about 600 degrees, then sear the steaks out of the wrap for four minutes on each side. Next, rewrap them and let rest for 10 minutes. Remove them from the wrap and slice them across the grain of the meat. They will have a rich, smoky flavor and a tender, juicy texture.
To celebrate springtime and barbecue season finally arriving, Lifetime Products is offering the Grill and Smoker Combo for $799 during the month of May. It's the best time of the year to fire up the good times with friends and family, and Lifetime is looking to make it the best-tasting season ever.
